Railroad-switch



(No Model.)

P. NOLAN.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

-NITED STATES PATRICK NOLAN, OF OHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

RAlLROAD-SWlTCt-l.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,509, dated November17, 1885.

Application filed May 9, 1885.

zen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county ofHamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railroad-Switches, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroadswitches, moreparticularly to that class of switches in which the pivoted tonguerailsused in connection with the main track are inclined upward. toraise thetread of the car-wheels passing over them and lift the flanges thereofabove the plane of the main rails at the point of transference. v

'My invention consists in a railway-switch composed of two continuousmain-track rails and two movable switch-rails, one of which switch-railsis mounted inside the main track and the other outside thereof, bothsets of rails, at the opening leading into the siding, being mountedupon bracing and slide chairs of gradually-ascending heights to bringsaid switch-rails at an inclination, and said switchrails beingconnectedby means of continuous rods firmly attached at one end to theinner switch-rail, and screw-threaded and slotted at their opposite endsto receive perforated nuts and suitable looking pins or keys forconnection with arms on the outer switch rail, whereby the said movablerails can be readily adjusted to or from each other to suit differentgages of track, all as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of arailroad-track, showing the main track and a switch leading into asiding and embodying my invention. Fig. '2 is a transverse sectionalelevation of my switch on line 1 l of Fig. 4, at the point of themovable rails, showing the safety connecting-rod. Fig. 3 is a similarview on line 2 2 of Fig. 4, taken at the point where the flange of thewheel clears the main track. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal 'sideelevation of my improvement on line 00 00, Fig. 1, showing the relativearrangement of the outer switch-rail and the adjoining main-track rail.Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of my improved combinedbracing and slide chairs.

A A represent two rails composing the main track, being showncontinuous, or, in

Serial No.1(i4,957. (No model.)

other words, without an opening or break therein at the point where theflange of the wheel crosses or clears the rail A of said track.

B B represent the customary guard-rails located inside the main-trackrails, immediately ahead of the points of the movable switch-rails.

C G represent the movable switch-railslead ing into a siding. Thepivoted rail 0 lies adjacent the rail A within the main track, and itsco-operating pivoted rail 0 lies adjacent the rail A without the maintrack. v

D D D D represent rods or bars connecting the movable rails O C.

d d represent arms depending from the outer sides of the rails O O. Thearms d are attached by means of bolts to the rail 0, and the arms (2 aresimilarly attached to rail 0.

One end of each of the connecting-rods D D D D is forked and adapted tofit the free end of each of the depending arms d, both said ends beingsuitably united by a bolt, 0. The opposite ends of said connecting-rodsare screwthreaded, and preferably provided with slots 0. The free endsof arms (1 are perforated, to receive the screw-threaded'ends of theconnecting-rods.

e 6 represent nuts on the screw-threaded ends of the connecting-rods,one being either side the said arms d, and turned closely in placeagainst the arms. Nuts 6 e are perforated to receive pins or keys 6,which pass through the slots 0 in the connectingrods to lock said nutsagainst accidental turning.

E represents a box or frame suitably secured to the under side of thefiat portion of connecting-rod D.

E is a rod lying beneath rod D and running parallel therewith.

. E is a rod connected by a bolt, a, with the rod E, and connecting thesame with a switchstand, F.

G represents a conical sleeve fitting upon the rod E and having aflange, g. This sleeve lies within an opening in the box E, with itsflange g bearing against the inner wall of said box.

H represents a spiral spring surrounding said rod E and located withinbox E. The free end of the rod E is screw-threaded beyond the pointwhere the sleeve G is designed to fit, so as to receive the jam-nutshit. The nuts h are turned up closely against one end of box E, and thenuts h are turned up closely against the outer end of sleeve G.

I I are combined bracing and slide chairs or plates, upon which themovable rails slide, and upon which the adjacent rails of the main trackare mounted, and against which they are braced. The chairs I are ofgraduallyascending height, beginning with the ones at the point ends ofthe tongue-rails and ending at the point where the flange of the wheelclears the main track, as shown in Fig. 4, thus causing a similarelevation or inclination of said tongue-rails, so that the wheelspassing from the main track into thesiding can'safely and readily clearsaid main track without making an opening or break therein. The chairs 1are shown as of uniform height; but it is obvious that they can be ofgraduallydescending height toward the pivotal end of the movable rails,so as to bring said ends on the same plane as the permanent rails ofthe.

siding. Both tongue-rails being mounted in the same manner and at thesame inclination, it is clear that the flange of the wheel passing alongthe inner edge of the tongue-rail 0 will efl'ectually guide the flangeofthe wheel at the opposite end of the axle, so that it will climb themain-track rail A and pass along the inner edge of the tongue-rail O.The combined brace and slide chairs I I are shouldered at z and notchedat i, the shoulder coming incontact with the web of the main-track railto serve as a brace, and the flange of the said rail fitting snuglywithin the notch i, which is of a like configuration'to said flange, asshown in Figs. 3 and 5. The usual spikeholes are made in the chair forsecuring it to the sleeper. The movable switch-rails slide upon theelevated body J of said chair.

In the operation of my device the wheels passing over the main track areguided into the siding when the tongue-rails are in the closed positionagainst the permanent maintrack rails, as shown in Fig. 1. Saidswitchrails are held in the same position, as customary, when the carspass into the main line from the siding, and the tread of the wheels isthe same, except that they are descending the inclined tonguerailsinstead of ascending them. 7

In the operation of the rods, which join the two tongue-rails so thatthey move in unison, the nuts on the rods can be readily turned ineither direction for different gages or widths of track by withdrawingthe keys or pins 6.

This is an important feature of my invention, as it is customary toallow extra width on curves, which has to be changed to meet the gage inorder to suit all other switches.

The safety-rod device connecting the switchstand with the switch ormovable rails is so arranged that it is impossible to displace theswitch to cause accidents. The connectingrod at thepoint end of thetongue-rails is free to co-operate with said tongue-rails when the trainis moving over the main track in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 1; and the spring H serves to hold the tongue-rails firmly againstthe main-track rails when the switch is closed and in position for atrain to take the siding.

I claim 1. A railway-switch composed of two continuous permanentmain-track rails, A A, and two movable tongueor switch-rails, O C, bothsets of rails, at the opening leading into the siding, being mountedupon combined bracing and slide chairs, I I t i J, of graduallyascending heights, with one of said switch-rails inside the main trackand the other outside thereof, and both connected by means of rods orbars D D D D, each formed of one piece of metal, and suitably attachedat one end to rail 0 and screw-threaded and slotted at the opposite endfor receiving perforated nuts 6 e and pins or keys e, and connected withthe outer tongue-rail by arms d, whereby said switch-rails can bereadily arranged or set at a greater or less distance apart to suitdifierent gages of track, and all the said parts being constructed,arranged, and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. In a railway-switch,the combination,with the movable switch-rails C0, provided with arms dd, of rods or straps D D D D each formed of onecontinuous piece of metal forked at. one end to engage said arms d onrail 0, and screw-threaded and slotted at their opposite ends to receiveperforated nuts 6 e and pins or keys e, whereby both said rails areconnected together and adapted to be set at a greater or less distanceapart to suit diflerent gages of track, substantially as herein setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

- PATRICK NOLAN.

Witnesses:

J OHN E. J ONES, J OSEPH LITTELL.

